New 'Essentials Fund' to give charities more flexibility to buy basic necessities
CBC
Two Waterloo women have created a new fund they hope will give local charities more flexibility to support the people they serve.
The "Essentials Fund," set up in partnership with the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation, will provide charities with grants they can use to purchase essential items for their clients.
These items could include anything from clothing and backpacks to toiletries, diapers and menstrual products.
"A lot of charities receive funds from government institutions and other organizations, but they're restricted to specific programs and services provided by the non-profit, which often leaves them without the necessary funds to purchase essential items," said Allyson Kroetsch, one of the founders of the new fund.
Kroetsch added that when charities put out calls for certain items, they sometimes end up with too much of one thing, or items that don't quite match what they're looking for.
The fund aims to fill that gap by giving charities the flexibility to buy exactly what they need, when they need it.
Kroetsch and her partner, Jane Arnold, came up with the idea for the fund during the pandemic when they noticed many charities asking for donations of basic necessities.
"I just thought, there has to be a way that we can help them as they continue to need these items," Arnold said.
"Certainly the last couple of years has increased the need ever more for people accessing different services in the community," Kroetsch added.
Arnold reached out to different charities and to the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation to see what demand there could be for this type of fund, "and I certainly was told that yes, this would be very helpful," she said.
Arnold said they currently fundraising and finalizing details for how charities can apply to the fund.
Donations to the Essentials Fund can be made directly through the KWCF website.
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